Monday, December 23, 2013

I wanted to take a moment to wish you a very Merry Christmas!

I hope you have fun plans for this holiday season and are surrounded by friends and family.

It has been quiet on the blog front, but there has been much productivity behind the scenes: I've been running my own little Santa's workshop as I have been spending a good deal of time working on Christmas gifts.

If you have been visiting here for a while you will know that I produce a batch of felted slippers each year. The pattern is Felted Clogs by Bev Galeskas. And while these slippers are not the most beautiful things you may have laid your eyes on :) they are super cosy. Which brings an ever-growing list of family and friends returning with requests each year. And I love it! It's fun to work on something that you know will be well loved.

The other thing I'd been working on are teacher gifts. As in previous years, I decided to make cowls for the lovely teachers at Naomi's school. My go-to pattern is Phydeaux Designs' Twist Cowl. The pattern is written for a super bulky yarn and US 15 needles - they work up quickly! In previous years I had worked these in Malabrigo Rasta (soooo soft) but I also love Phydeaux Designs bulky yarns (and had a bunch of these in my stash). I figured out that if I go down to a US 12, and add about 4 extra stitches to the width of the cowl that the cowl works up beautifully in the Phydeaux bulky mousse yarn (vs the super bulky that the pattern is written for) and takes exactly one skein. I'd also bought some of her handmade buttons and think that they add a lovely touch to the finished cowl.

And then there were a couple of stocking stuffers for some of the other helpers at school: A pot of chocolate fondue with some pretty decorated forks; A 'for your mistletoes' bundle of nail polish and nail file (this one got a bonus matching lip gloss); A box of Hershey's kisses. All very simple... but a token of gratitude nonetheless.

Then there is a gnome pillow for a dear friend that just loooves gnomes. This a paper piecing pattern that is available for free online. It was a little tricky for me (I consider myself a beginner when it comes to sewing) as there were a lot of little pieces in this, but well worth the effort (and persistence :o))) The cushion is a simple envelope fold back, with interfacing and french seams. I am over the moon with how this turned out.

Finally I made a couple of quick and easy ornaments. The first were these adorable christmas tree baubles. (Simply take clear glass baubles, bottle brush trees and glitter... I used a hot glue gun to add glue to the bottom of the trees, and using tweezers put them in the bottom of the glass bauble. Once the glue had dried, just add glitter and you are done. It's a bit of a fiddle to get the trees in the bauble, but other than that it doesn't get much simpler). Naomi and I also made a snow globe. Also very simple - bottle brush trees, glitter, distilled water and glycerin and of course a jar. Hot glue the bottle brush trees to the inside of the jar lid and let set. To the jar add the distilled water, glitter and glycerin (glycerin not vital... it just makes the water a little viscous). Once set, just put the lid back on the jar, shake and marvel :o))) I actually love the one we created... so simple and yet effective.

Hope all is going well with your Christmas plans.
Wishing you the very best for the festive season.
Much love,
Sam xxx